From the bay to the bush and from city chic to seaside sophistication, we’ve rounded up 15 brand new (or beautifully revamped) wedding ceremony and wedding reception venues from right around Australia! Some of these diverse event spaces and locations may even take your fancy as your bridal shower, engagement or buck’s party venue too! P.S. Want more Australian wedding venue ideas? Find more function spaces that we’ve loved forever right here!
1. Next Door – Warrandyte, Victoria
One of three function spaces available at The Grand Hotel, Next Door is decked out in a refreshing mix of pastel and jewel tones. Your guests will enjoy canapés that fuse crowd-pleasing tastes with gourmet flavours (their lobster mac ‘n’ cheese bites are going on the wedding menu) at this riverside space. Plus there’s a private bar with espresso martinis on tap. Therefore, you won’t need to wait very long at all for a post-ceremony pick me up here!
Capacity: 60 seated, 100 standing
2. Camden Valley Inn – Camden Park, New South Wales
Majorly revamped over 10 months, the Camden Valley Inn now offers prime country estate wedding vibes just an hour away from the Sydney CBD. It was originally constructed as a milk bar in the 1930s but today is hotel and restaurant set upon five acres of land backed by the Razorback mountain range. With a range of event space to choose from on the property, our favourite just might be the Loft; a heritage cottage you can have all to yourself.
Capacity: 240 seated, 300 standing
3. Kitchens on Kent – Millers Point, New South Wales
For food-focussed couples, The Langham Sydney has recently opened Kitchens on Kent. There are two private dining rooms to choose from; the intimate Tucker Library for just yourselves plus six of your closest friends (with those pink velvet chairs and dreamy artworks it would also be lovely for a small bridal shower) or the larger Harbour Room. This venue is modern yet comfortable, with touches of unexpected colour.
Capacity: 60 seated
4. Le Salon Aux Fleurs – Armadale, Victoria
By day this space is a Parisian-influenced florist by floral artist Steven Gabriel Maccora. But by night Le Salon Aux Fleurs transforms into the private dining room for the French wine bar – Bouzy – next door. With dramatic red curtains, one cosy communal table and blooming styling already complete it’s too easy to, not just say “I do” here for your elopement or micro-wedding, but instead say “I oui!”
Capacity: 12 seated
5. Pier Farm – Williamstown, Victoria
You’ll be in for an appropriately Mediterranean and seafood-centric feast at the renovated Pier Farm. The breezy space is flooded with an oceanic blue hue, blonde timbers and bay views while the private dining room features a subtle nautical atmosphere via gold-plated portholes. There’s a waterfront deck for seaside ceremonies. And, for a grand entrance (or exit), you and your guests can come and go by boat with Anchorage Marina moorings conveniently placed right out front.
Capacity – 120 seated
6. Alchemy – Healesville, Victoria
Cocktail hour is one of our favourite parts of a wedding. If it’s yours too, why not go straight to the source and get hitched right at the distillery? Alchemy can now cater to special functions in a moody, barrel-lined room complete with its own fireplace. House white or red wine, no more! Instead, your guests can sip on award-winning chamomile gin or citrus vodka cocktails. And – handily enough – there’s even boutique apartment accommodation for the bridal couple right on site.
Capacity – 80 seated or standing
7. Shed 88 – Denmark, Western Australia
Shed 88 at Parry Beach Breaks is for you if you want to feel like you’ve escaped the rest of the world on your wedding day. Events here offer exclusive use of the entire 140-acre property, bush and bay views and even beach house accommodation on site. For your ceremony, you can choose from the cleverly designed outdoor “chapel”, a picturesque deck or a beach location. Inside the shed itself, receptions are hosted in industrial style complete with stone, steel and polished concrete textures plus Edison bulb chandeliers.
Capacity – 150 seated, 180 standing
8. Pinchy’s – Melbourne, Victoria
Are rich lobster rolls and an endless stream of bubbles on your dream wedding menu? Decked out in salmon, peach and millennial pink, Pinchy’s sure looks the part for an engagement party or bridal shower celebrations in particular. The best spot for private events is the outside balcony, with its own dedicated Champagne bar, which overlooks Bourke Street’s heritage architecture and leafy plane trees. Ask them to arrange roaming tableside service for on-the-spot oyster-shucking for your special day – so fancy!
Capacity – 75 standing/lounging
9. Chapel 1885 – Collingwood, Victoria
Chapel 1885 is a stunner. Now you can go to the chapel, get married and stay right there for the after-party. This 135-year-old heritage-listed ex-church offers Gothic Revival style complete with unique hand-painted murals, chandeliers, wrought iron details and arched windows. There’s even a grand piano in case your more talented guests feel like serenading the happy couple! Photography: Down the Lane Studios.
Capacity – 80 seated, 100 standing
10. The Ballroom at Hotel Chadstone – Malvern East, Victoria
If you’re seeking a place that avoids the city’s hustle and bustle – but with the same upscale appeal – Melbourne’s newest 5-star hotel might be the place for you to tie the knot. As an M Gallery by Sofitel property, Hotel Chadstone has its own distinct personality; this time, the hotel is inspired by designer fashion and modern trends (Chadstone is right next door, but you’d never know it once you step inside the gleaming lobby). The spacious ballroom here features natural light and a neutral palette with unexpectedly luxe fittings. As a bonus for wedding parties, the serene haven-esque Holism Retreat and styled, plush suites are just upstairs for every pre and post-wedding desire.
Capacity – 360 seated, 650 standing
11. Altus – Malvern East, Victoria
Altus is the sky-high rooftop bar and lounge atop the new Hotel Chadstone. It also offers multiple private dining and premium event space options too! The Altus West and East rooms, which can be combined into one larger space or kept cosier, will have you feeling like you’re floating on air during your wedding reception or engagement party with their lofty, expansive views (golden hour would sublime here) combined with boutique interior styling. P.S. Altus also do a sparkling rosé-accompanied high tea in sumptuous surrounds for a chic bridal shower idea.
Capacity – 110 seated, 150 standing
12. The Ritz-Carlton – Perth, Western Australia
A glittering addition to the Swan River region, Australia’s newest Ritz-Carlton property is a premium destination for weddings out west. For events, their ballroom offers floor to ceiling windows (all the better to overlook the waters of Elizabeth Quay) and a huge foyer for pre-reception cocktail hours or an outdoor terrace with its own private bar. Their gorgeous Songbird rooftop cocktail bar also accepts private bookings. Plus, the coast is only 20 minutes away so that you can start your beachy honeymoon asap after a good night’s sleep in one of three unique suites.
Capacity – 530 standing
13. Acre Farm & Eatery – Burwood East, Victoria
You don’t have to travel all the way to the country to have a celebration that’s in touch with nature. The suburbs will do! Acre is a sustainable rooftop restaurant, glasshouse cafe and urban edible garden. They even house their own bees and so your day is sure to be sweet. Produce is the key ingredient here so imagine an epic wedding feast of ethically-sourced, whole roast slow-cooked all day over coals or a bountiful grazing table, all set amid the greenery.
Capacity – 130 seated, 300 standing
14. The Ian Potter Queen’s Hall – Melbourne, Victoria
This function venue is for bookworm brides, history-buff grooms or couples who are jointly into subtle grandeur. The rejuvenated Queen’s Hall has recently been unveiled at the State Library of Victoria. Managed by the pros at Showtime Event Group, the cavernous 150+-year-old heritage space is accented by striking, classical columns, natural light by day, an ornate ceiling and – yes – books for days! Photography: Trevor Mein
Capacity – 290 seated, 500 standing
15. Mackenzie Quarters – Bendigo, Victoria
Once a schoolhouse, Mackenzie Hall at Mackenzie Quarters has been given a new lease on life. New chandeliers offset glossy timbers and a reverent-yet-welcoming atmosphere. There’s also The Old School Yard available for ceremonies which has got me thinking how utterly adorable a school fete style wedding would be. On-site there is the added benefit of accommodation in the form of a historic family home – originally the school Dean’s residence – for 12. You could fit your entire bridal party or the “V”-est of your VIP guests in there!
Capacity – 130 seated, 175 standing
If you’re still looking for your perfect wedding venue, here are even more recently opened beauties!
About Ms Fleur De Lys: Aside from being Ms Polka’s Editorial Assistant, Ms Fleur de Lys is also Polka Dot Bride’s Melbourne correspondent so you’ll see her running all over town finding wedding inspiration. As both a lifestyle journalist and cocktail aficionado, Fleur appreciates the power of words whipped up as deftly as a good martini.
Join the conversation